Installment collecting device



M. J. ULINE INSTALLMENT COLLECTING DEVICE Filed June 9, 1957 I "IIIjlJw/n/f I I Patented Oct. 15, 1940 nsirsn stares Parent or ies 5Claims.

This invention relates to an installment collecting device in the formof a coin controlled clock having a locking bolt actuated thereby toprevent an article sold on the installment plan from being used after apredetermined time has elapsed until a coin is deposited therein toenable the clock to be rewound to release the locking bolt.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device in which theexpansion and contraction of the main spring of a clock is utilized tooperate a movable bolt to lock and unlock a movable member of thearticle whereby after a predetermined time has elapsed, the locking boltwill be moved into locked position by the expansion of the main springso as to prevent the movable member of the article from being moved.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device which isexceedingly simple and cheap in construction and one in which I utilizethe ordinary clockwork, as for example, of an eightday clock so thatafter a predetermined time, as for example, seven days have elapsed, themain spring will force the locking bolt into locked position and will beheld in that position until a coin is disposed in a coin chute whichwill release the winding post of the main spring in order to allow thesame to be rewound and upon the completion of the rewinding of theclock, the' bolt will be withdrawn from locked position to allow thearticle to be used for a certain time.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will behereinafter set forth and the novel features thereof defined by theappended claims.

In the drawing,

Figure l is a front elevation of a refrigerator showing the applicationof my improved construction of installment collecting device;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of a radio showing the application of thesame;

Figure 3 is a horizontal section of the casing;-

and

Figure 4 is a side elevation, the casing being broken away and shownpartly inelevation.

In the embodiment of my invention as shown in Figure 1, I show theapplication of my improved collecting device to a refrigerator I byplacing the device within the door 2 and providing a coin slot 3 and akeyhole 3. It is, of course, understood that the device can be placedwithin the door frame and it will operate the same to lock the door.

In the embodiment of my invention as shown in Figure 2, I show theapplication of my collecting device to a radio 4 provided with con Itrol knobs 5 which will be prevented from being turned by my improvedlocking device, a suitable coin slot 6 and a keyhole 6" being provided.

In carrying out my invention, I preferably arrange within a casing lclockwork such as used in the ordinary eight-day clock which is providedwith a main spring 3 and as I only utilize the main spring of theclockwork in carrying out my invention, I have refrained fromillustrating the entire clockwork as the clockwork will be ofconventional form.

Disposed within the case I is a suitable bearing s in which I arrange alocking bolt l6 which is herein shown held in contact with the outerconvolution of the main spring 8 by a coil spring H, the inner end ofthe locking bolt being loosely connected as shown at 52 with the outerconvolution of the main spring so that as the main spring expands andcontracts, the bolt will be reciprocated into locked and unlockedposition and while I have shown a reciprocating bolt, I wish it to beclearly understood that the bolt could be pivoted so long as it movedinto locked or unlocked position by the expansion and contraction of themain spring and while I have shown the use of a coil .spring H fornormally holding the bolt in contact with the outer convolution of themain spring, by having the inner end of the bolt loosely connected tothe outer convolution of the main spring by a thin strap or a piece ofpiano wire, the bolt will follow the movement of the spring as itcontracts and expands.

A ratchet wheel I3 is fixed on the winding post i lof the main spring 8which is engaged by a pivoted pawl l 5 normally held into engagementwith the ratchet wheel in such a manner that the winding post cannot beturned by a key.

Disposed within the casing 7 is a coin chute l6 under which is arrangeda coin box i7, said chute being of any desired configuration to pre-.vent the fraudulent operation of the pawl as will be later described.

The pawl i5 is provided with a tail portion l5, which extends into thecoin chute through a slot It so as to be in the path of travel of a coinpassing through the chute. The pawl is preferably weighted to hold it inengagement with the ratchet wheel so that the'weight of the coin instriking the same will overbalance the pawl and disengage it from theratchet wheel.

In order to hold thepawl out of engagement with the ratchet wheel duringthe rewinding of the main spring of the clock, I dispose within thecasing a pivoted lever l8 having one end arranged in the path of travelof the pawl so as to allow the pawl to be disengaged by the weight ofthe coin, but will prevent the coin from passing by the tail of the pawland the weight of the coin: will hold the pawl disengaged until theclock is wound up. The other end of the lever [B is held in contact withthe main spring 8 by a coil spring l9 which causes the lever to followthe contraction of the spring so that after the main spring of the clockhas been rewound, the lever 3 will move out of the path of the pawl andthe coin will drop into the money box and the pawl will be released soas to allow it to drop back into engagement with the ratchet wheel andprevent the clock from being wound.

In the operation of the collecting device constructed in accordance withmy invention, the article is sold on the installment plan with theunderstanding that the purchaser pays so much a week and as for example,if a refrigerator was sold on the 25 cents a week plan, the clock wouldbe wound up and the door of the refrigerator could be opened and closeduntil after seven days have elapsed and at the end of this time, thebolt would start to work outwardly by the expansion of the spring inorder to lock the door into closed position so that the refrigeratorcould not be used until the purchaser deposited a coin within the samewhich would release the Winding mechanism and allow the clock to berewound and as the clock is rewound, the spring contracts so as to drawthe bolt out of locked position and allow the door of the refrigeratorto be opened.

It is, of course, understood that the movement of the bolt ispredetermined in respect to the movement of the clock spring in itsexpansion and contraction and that the weight of the pawl ispredetermined in respect to the weight of the coin to be used.

Bythe use of a collecting device of this kind, any article having amovable member controlling the proper use of the same can be sold on theinstallment plan and it will not be necessary to collect the moneydeposited therein but once or twice a year, thereby saving a great dealof expense in collecting and providing a device which will insure thecollection of the money due or else the article cannot be used.

While I have shown and described a collecting device utilizing a springof a clock for operating the bolt by expansion and contraction, I wishit to be clearly understood that I do not wish to limit myself to theconstruction shown as my invention consists broadly in utilizing aclockwork for locking and unlocking a bolt for looking a movable memberof the article sold to prevent it from being used in connection withcoin controlled means to allow the clock to be rewound after it has runa predetermined length of time by inserting a coin.

. The range of use to which the present invention may be put is wide andvaried. For the purpose of illustration I have disclosed the sameapplied to a refrigerator and a radio. It may, however, be stated thatthe invention contemplates the application of the device to any articleprovided with a movable memberwhich is adapted to be moved in the use ofthe same so that said device cannot be used after a predetermined timeuntil a coin has been deposited therein.

In constructing a collecting device as herein shown a casing is employedin which the mechanism is enclosed and is provided with a door having alock so that the money deposited in the device can only be removed bythe proper party and in installing in a refrigerator, the casing will bedisposed either within the door or to the rear of the same and I wish itto be clearly understood that it is immaterial where the casingcontaining the device is placed so long as the locking bolt is disposedto engage a movable member to prevent the same from being operated.

What I claim is:

1. An installment collecting device comprising a clockwork provided witha main spring having a winding stem, a locking bolt having a connec tionwith said spring and adapted to be moved into locked and unlockedposition by the expansion and contraction of said spring, a ratchetwheel carried by the winding stem, a pawl movably held in engagementwith said ratchet wheel and holding said pawl out of engagement withsaid ratchet wheel while said spring is being wound and means controlledby the contraction of said main spring for limiting the movement of saidpawl.

2. 'An installment collecting device comprising a clockwork having amain spring, a movable bolt having a connection with said spring andadapted to be moved into locked and unlocked position by the expansionand contraction of said spring, a movable member movably held into aposition for preventing the spring from being rewound and adapted to bereleased by a. coin and means controlled by the contraction of saidspring cooperating with said movable member for allowing said member toreturn to its normal position to prevent the rewinding of said spring.

, 3. An installment collecting device comprising a clockwork having amain spring provided with a winding stem, a locking bolt having a looseconnection with said spring and adapted to be moved into locked andunlocked position by the expansion and contraction of said spring, aratchet wheel carried by said winding stem, a pivoted pawl engaging saidratchet wheel adapted to be disengaged therefrom by a coin, means forlimiting the movement of said pawl for holding said pawl out ofengagement with said ratchet wheel, said means being operated by thecontraction of said spring to release said pawl and allow said pawl toreturn to its normal position.

4. An installment collecting device for articles of manufacture having amovable member comprising a clockwork, a locking bolt adapted tocooperate with said movable member, means controlled bysaid clockworkfor moving said bolt into locked position at a predetermined time andcoin controlled means for preventing the rewinding of the clockwork,

5. An installment collecting device for articles of manufacture having amovable member, comprising a clockwork, a locking bolt operated by saidclockwork and adapted to be moved into engagement with saidv movablemember when the clockwork runs down and out of engagement with saidmovable member when the clockwork is wound up and coin-controlled meanscooperating with said clockwork for preventing the rewinding of theclockwork when said clockwork runs down.

MIGIEL J. ULINE.

